All Blacks centre out of France clash
NEWS: New Zealand head coach Ian Foster said centre Anton Lienert-Brown will miss the Test with France.
Lienert-Brown, 26, came off the field just before the break with a shoulder injury in Saturday’s 2029 loss to Ireland and was replaced by David Havili.
Rieko Ioane and inexperienced pair Braydon Ennor and Quinn Tupaea are Foster’s other choices in midfield.
“He’s in a sling as a precautionary measure. He’ll be out of this game,” Foster told reporters before Saturday’s fixture in Paris.
“I’m comfortable with options. Whoever gets in midfield will be prepared and ready to go,” he added.
Flyhalf Beauden Barrett failed a head injury assessment in Dublin and was replaced by Richie Mo’unga after 20 minutes.
Foster said a decision will be made on Barrett’s availability in the next 48 hours.
The All Blacks face Les Bleus, unbeaten this November after wins over Argentina and Georgia, in a dress rehearsal for the opening match of the 2023 Rugby World Cup to finish their end of year campaign at a sold-out Stade de France.
“We knew these last two games were going to be big,” Foster said.
“Us getting off the mat after last night [Saturday] won’t be hard to do. We know we got outplayed. We want to finish this tour well.
“Playing against a France team that’s growing is a great game for us to respond. I don’t think we’ll be short for motivation at all,” he added.
